Forgotten mobile device detection and management

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for detecting when a mobile device is left in a vehicle, and returning forgotten devices to owners. Additionally, systems and methods are provided for preventing mobile devices from being left in vehicles. In particular, sensors inside a vehicle as well as sensors on mobile devices can be used to identify when a mobile device remains in a vehicle after the owner has exited the vehicle and ended their trip. Systems and methods are provided for notifying the user of the forgotten device and intelligently returning the device to the user.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to autonomous vehicles (AVs)and to systems and methods for detecting devices in vehicles.

BACKGROUND

Autonomous vehicles, also known as self-driving cars, driverlessvehicles, and robotic vehicles, are vehicles that use multiple sensorsto sense the environment and move without human input. Automationtechnology in the autonomous vehicles enables the vehicles to drive onroadways and to accurately and quickly perceive the vehicle'senvironment, including obstacles, signs, and traffic lights. Thevehicles can be used to pick up passengers and drive the passengers toselected destinations. The vehicles can also be used to pick up packagesand/or other goods and deliver the packages and/or goods to selecteddestinations.

Passengers who ride in autonomous vehicles generally have belongingswith them, and occasionally a passenger may inadvertently leave an itembehind in a vehicle. When the item left behind is the passenger's mobiledevice, through which the passenger communicates with the vehicleservice, it can be difficult to contact the passenger to return thedevice.

SUMMARY

Systems and methods are provided for detecting when a mobile device isleft in a vehicle, and returning forgotten devices to the owners.Additionally, systems and methods are provided for preventing mobiledevices from being left in vehicles. In particular, sensors inside avehicle as well as sensors on mobile devices can be used to identifywhen a mobile device remains in a vehicle after the owner has exited thevehicle and ended their trip. Systems and method are provided fornotifying the user of the forgotten device and intelligently returningthe device to the user.

According to one aspect, a method is provided for detecting a deviceleft in a vehicle, comprising establishing a connection with the devicein the vehicle, at a passenger drop-off location, performing aprevention routine, after passenger drop-off, determining whether theconnection with the device is maintained, and based on thedetermination, initiating a passenger notification protocol.

According to another aspect, a system is provided for detecting a devicein a vehicle, comprising a sensor suite on the vehicle configured todetermine when a passenger enters and exits the vehicle, a plurality ofsensors inside the vehicle, wherein at least one of the sensors isconfigured to detect the device and establish a connection with thedevice, and an onboard computer configured to determine whether theconnection with the device is maintained after the passenger exits thevehicle, and, based on the determination, configured to initiate apassenger notification protocol.

According to another aspect, a system is provided for detecting a devicein a vehicle, comprising a plurality of sensors inside the vehicle,wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is configured to detectthe device and establish a connection with the device, an onboardcomputer in the vehicle configured to determine whether the connectionwith the device is maintained after passenger drop-off, and a centralcomputing system configured to communicate with the device via arideshare application and with the onboard computer, wherein the centralcomputing system is configured to transmit data to the device andreceive device location data.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is best understood from the following detaileddescription when read with the accompanying figures. It is emphasizedthat, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, variousfeatures are not necessarily drawn to scale, and are used forillustration purposes only. Where a scale is shown, explicitly orimplicitly, it provides only one illustrative example. In otherembodiments, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarilyincreased or reduced for clarity of discussion.

To provide a more complete understanding of the present disclosure andfeatures and advantages thereof, reference is made to the followingdescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures, whereinlike reference numerals represent like parts, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an autonomous vehicle, according tosome embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a method for mobile device detection,according to some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method for mobile device detectionand recovery, according to some embodiments of the disclosure;

FIGS. 4A and 4B show examples of a device notification, according tosome embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a method for mobile device recovery,according to various embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an autonomous vehicle and a passenger,according to various embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a fleet of autonomous vehicles incommunication with a central computer, according to some embodiments ofthe disclosure; and

FIG. 8 shows an example embodiment of a system for implementing certainaspects of the present technology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Overview

Systems and methods are provided for detecting when a mobile device isleft in a vehicle, and returning forgotten devices to the owners.Additionally, systems and methods are provided for preventing mobiledevices from being left in vehicles. In particular, sensors inside avehicle as well as sensors on mobile devices can be used to identifywhen a mobile device remains in a vehicle after the owner has exited thevehicle and ended their trip. Systems and method are provided fornotifying the user of the forgotten device and intelligently returningthe device to the user.

As mobile technology improves at an exponential rate, more and more ofpeople's daily life activities are performed through mobile devices.Thus, without a mobile device, a person may be unable to perform certainimportant activities such as paying for items or services, unlockinghouse doors, contacting friends, family, colleagues, or emergencyservices, and arranging for transportation to or from a destination.Additionally, devices can be quite expensive and many people makesubstantial investments in their mobile devices. When a passengeraccidentally forgets a mobile device in a vehicle, the passenger riskslosing both the investment in the device itself as well as data on thedevice and the ability to proceed with daily activities as planned.

While current rideshare services offer ways to recover lost items, itemrecovery incurs additional costs for the inconvenience of the driverhaving to return the items. Additionally, current rideshare itemrecovery services rely on the discretion of the driver to admit that theitems were indeed found inside the car, and the incentive is low toreturn devices that cost hundreds of dollars (and often more than athousand dollars). Systems and methods are provided herein to solve theproblem of a passenger mindlessly forgetting a mobile device inside ofan autonomous vehicle, as well as systems and methods for returning aforgotten device to the device owner.

The following description and drawings set forth certain illustrativeimplementations of the disclosure in detail, which are indicative ofseveral exemplary ways in which the various principles of the disclosuremay be carried out. The illustrative examples, however, are notexhaustive of the many possible embodiments of the disclosure. Otherobjects, advantages and novel features of the disclosure are set forthin the proceeding in view of the drawings where applicable.

Example Autonomous Vehicle Configured for Mobile Device Detection

FIG. 1 is a diagram 100 illustrating an autonomous vehicle 110,according to some embodiments of the disclosure. The autonomous vehicle110 includes a sensor suite 102 and an onboard computer 104. In variousimplementations, the autonomous vehicle 110 uses sensor information fromthe sensor suite 102 to determine its location, to navigate traffic, tosense and avoid obstacles, and to sense its surroundings. According tovarious implementations, the autonomous vehicle 110 is part of a fleetof vehicles for picking up passengers and/or packages and driving toselected destinations. The autonomous vehicle 110 is configured formobile device detection and management.

The sensor suite 102 includes localization and driving sensors. Forexample, the sensor suite may include one or more of photodetectors,cameras, RADAR, SONAR, LIDAR, GPS, inertial measurement units (IMUs),accelerometers, microphones, strain gauges, pressure monitors,barometers, thermometers, altimeters, wheel speed sensors, and acomputer vision system. The sensor suite 102 continuously monitors theautonomous vehicle's environment and, in some examples, sensor suite 102data is used to detect selected events. In particular, data from thesensor suite 102 can be used to update a map with information used todevelop layers with waypoints identifying selected events, the locationsof the encountered events, and the frequency with which the events areencountered at the identified location. In some examples, data from thesensor suite 102 can include information regarding crowds and/or linesoutside and/or around selected venues. Additionally, sensor suite 102data can provide localized traffic information. In this way, sensorsuite 102 data from many autonomous vehicles can continually providefeedback to the mapping system and the high fidelity map can be updatedas more and more information is gathered.

In various examples, the sensor suite 102 includes cameras implementedusing high-resolution imagers with fixed mounting and field of view. Infurther examples, the sensor suite 102 includes LIDARs implemented usingscanning LIDARs. Scanning LIDARs have a dynamically configurable fieldof view that provides a point-cloud of the region intended to scan. Instill further examples, the sensor suite 102 includes RADARs implementedusing scanning RADARs with dynamically configurable field of view.

In some implementations, data from the sensor suite 102 can be used todetect a passenger exiting a vehicle and/or to determine that apassenger has exited a vehicle. In some examples, the sensor suite 102can be used to track initial movements of the passenger after thepassenger exits the vehicle. In some examples, a passenger drop-offdetermination is satisfied by detecting that a passenger has exited thevehicle. For instance, interior and/or exterior cameras can be used todetect that a passenger has exited the vehicle. In some examples, otherinterior and/or exterior sensors can be used to detect that a passengerhas exited the vehicle.

The autonomous vehicle 110 includes an onboard computer 104, whichfunctions to control the autonomous vehicle 110. The onboard computer104 processes sensed data from the sensor suite 102 and/or othersensors, in order to determine a state of the autonomous vehicle 110. Insome implementations described herein, the autonomous vehicle 110includes sensors inside the vehicle. In some examples, the autonomousvehicle 110 includes one or more cameras inside the vehicle. The camerascan be used to detect items or people inside the vehicle. In someexamples, the autonomous vehicle 110 includes one or more weight sensorsinside the vehicle, which can be used to detect items or people insidethe vehicle. In some examples, the interior sensors can be used todetect passengers inside the vehicle. In some examples, the interiorsensors can be used to detect mobile devices inside the vehicle. Basedupon the vehicle state and programmed instructions, the onboard computer104 controls and/or modifies driving behavior of the autonomous vehicle110.

The onboard computer 104 functions to control the operations andfunctionality of the autonomous vehicle 110 and processes sensed datafrom the sensor suite 102 and/or other sensors in order to determinestates of the autonomous vehicle. In some implementations, the onboardcomputer 104 is a general-purpose computer adapted for I/O communicationwith vehicle control systems and sensor systems. In someimplementations, the onboard computer 104 is any suitable computingdevice. In some implementations, the onboard computer 104 is connectedto the Internet via a wireless connection (e.g., via a cellular dataconnection). In some examples, the onboard computer 104 is coupled toany number of wireless or wired communication systems. In some examples,the onboard computer 104 is coupled to one or more communication systemsvia a mesh network of devices, such as a mesh network formed byautonomous vehicles.

According to various implementations, the autonomous driving system 100of FIG. 1 functions to enable an autonomous vehicle 110 to modify and/orset a driving behavior in response to parameters set by vehiclepassengers (e.g., via a passenger interface). Driving behavior of anautonomous vehicle may be modified according to explicit input orfeedback (e.g., a passenger specifying a maximum speed or a relativecomfort level), implicit input or feedback (e.g., a passenger's heartrate), or any other suitable data or manner of communicating drivingbehavior preferences.

The autonomous vehicle 110 is preferably a fully autonomous automobile,but may additionally or alternatively be any semi-autonomous or fullyautonomous vehicle. In various examples, the autonomous vehicle 110 is aboat, an unmanned aerial vehicle, a driverless car, a golf cart, atruck, a van, a recreational vehicle, a train, a tram, a three-wheeledvehicle, or a scooter. Additionally, or alternatively, the autonomousvehicles may be vehicles that switch between a semi-autonomous state anda fully autonomous state and thus, some autonomous vehicles may haveattributes of both a semi-autonomous vehicle and a fully autonomousvehicle depending on the state of the vehicle.

In various implementations, the autonomous vehicle 110 includes athrottle interface that controls an engine throttle, motor speed (e.g.,rotational speed of electric motor), or any other movement-enablingmechanism. In various implementations, the autonomous vehicle 110includes a brake interface that controls brakes of the autonomousvehicle 110 and controls any other movement-retarding mechanism of theautonomous vehicle 110. In various implementations, the autonomousvehicle 110 includes a steering interface that controls steering of theautonomous vehicle 110. In one example, the steering interface changesthe angle of wheels of the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle110 may additionally or alternatively include interfaces for control ofany other vehicle functions, for example, windshield wipers, headlights,turn indicators, air conditioning, etc.

Example Method for Mobile Device Detection

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a method 200 for mobile devicedetection, according to various embodiments of the disclosure. Invarious implementations, a passenger's mobile device is identified andtracked before the passenger enters the vehicle. For example, when apassenger is using a rideshare application, the passenger's mobiledevice identification information and GPS location are shared with therideshare application. Additionally, when an autonomous vehicle arrivesat a pick-up location, the vehicle may connect with and track thepassenger's mobile device before the passenger enters the vehicle. Themethod 200 begins when a passenger enters a vehicle at step 202. At step204, the passenger's device is detected. In some examples, thepassenger's device is detected when the passenger is close to thevehicle, and before the passenger enters the vehicle at step 202. Atstep 206, a connection between the device and the vehicle isestablished. In various examples, the connection allows the vehicle totrack the device.

Mobile devices generally include multiple sensors configured foridentifying and tracking the devices. The sensors integrated into mobiledevices can be used in conjunction with sensors in a vehicle. Ingeneral, a vehicle also includes many sensors, both interior andexterior to the vehicle. Some vehicle sensors can be used to trackpassenger mobile devices. There are many different ways a device can bedetected at step 204. Similarly, there are many different ways aconnection with the device can be established at step 206.

In one example, a high frequency sound is used to identify and connectwith a mobile device. In particular, the rideshare mobile applicationused to request the ride can cause a selected high frequency sound to beplayed on the mobile device. The high frequency sound is higher than isperceptible to humans. A specific frequency can be assigned to aspecific mobile device such that the particular frequency emitted fromthe device can be used to identify the device. The vehicle's microphonescan detect the high frequency sound, and verify the frequency matches aspecific frequency sent to the device. The device continues to emit thefrequency until after the ride has ended. In some examples, therideshare application causes the device to emit the frequency for aselected period of time after the ride has ended. If the vehicle sensorscontinue to detect the high frequency sound after the passenger exitsthe vehicle, then it can be determined that the device was left insidethe vehicle. In various examples, within seconds of a device leaving thevehicle, the high frequency sound emitted by the device is notperceptible by car microphones. Thus, this method can identify aforgotten device within seconds of a passenger exiting the vehicle.

In a second example, the rideshare application tracks a mobile device'sGPS location. The rideshare application accesses the mobile device's GPSdata when the application is in use, to determine pick-up location. Themobile device's GPS data can continue to be monitored en route and atthe destination location. When the passenger exits the vehicle, mobiledevice GPS location can be tracked to ensure that it diverges from theGPS location of the vehicle. If the mobile device GPS location does notdiverge from the vehicle location after passenger drop-off, it can bedetermined that the mobile device was left inside the vehicle.Additionally, device accelerometer data can be monitored and compared tovehicle accelerometer data to detect differences (or the absence ofdifferences if the device is in the vehicle).

In a third example, in-car imaging devices can be used to identifymobile devices in the vehicle. In particular, cameras in the vehicle canbe used in conjunction with image recognition technology and heuristicssuch as the common form factor of a mobile device (e.g., rectangular,˜5-6″×˜2.5″, black screen, etc.) and common places mobile devices arelocated (e.g., in a person's hand, in a person's pocket, or lying on theseat). Using these technologies, mobile devices that are within acamera's field of view can be identified with high accuracy. When apassenger exits a vehicle, the in-car camera can perform a sweep of thecabin to ensure that a mobile device has not visibly been left behind.If a device is identified in a vehicle, this method detects theforgotten device almost immediately, since the mobile device is trackedduring the ride. In some examples, a passenger drop-off determination issatisfied by detecting that a passenger has exited the vehicle (e.g.,via interior and/or exterior sensors).

In a fourth example, Near Field Communication (NFC) sensors can be usedto detect a mobile device. In general, NFC sensors are short rangesensors and typically only detect devices within about a two inch range.In some examples, NFC sensors are strategically located within avehicle, such as next to in-car phone chargers or other places wherepassengers are likely to leave their phones during a trip. NFC sensorscan give a strong signal as to whether a device has been left in avehicle. In particular, device sensing by an NFC sensor indicates that adevice is in the vehicle.

In a fifth example, Bluetooth signals can also be used to detect amobile device in a vehicle. In particular, Bluetooth only connectswithin a certain radius. Thus, if a passenger's mobile device connectsto vehicle media via a Bluetooth signal, and the connection ismaintained after the passenger exits the vehicle (and the distancebetween the passenger and the vehicle exceeds the Bluetooth signalradius), it can be determined that the mobile device has been left inthe vehicle.

Similarly, in a sixth example, a mobile device can connect to in-vehicleWiFi. The WiFi signal only connects within a certain radius. Thus, if apassenger's mobile device is coupled to vehicle WiFi, and the connectionis maintained after the passenger exits the vehicle (and the distancebetween the passenger and the vehicle exceeds the WiFi signal radius),it can be determined that the mobile device has been left in thevehicle.

In a seventh example, seat weight sensors can detect a mobile deviceleft on a vehicle seat. After a passenger exits the vehicle, a seatweight sensor can detect the weight of items left on the seat. Anothersensor may be used to identify the sensed weight as a mobile deviceversus some other item.

According to various implementations, one or more of the examples abovecan be used to establish a connection with the device during the ride.FIG. 3 is a diagram 300 illustrating a top view of an interior of anautonomous vehicle 302, according to some embodiments of the disclosure.As shown in FIG. 3, a mobile device 304 is on the back seat of thevehicle 302. There are multiple sensors 306 a, 306 b, 306 c, 306 d, 306e, 306 f, 306 g located throughout the vehicle, and in variousimplementations, one or more of the sensors 306 a-306 g can be differentfrom other ones of the sensors 306 a-306 g. As shown in FIG. 3, themobile device 304 is coupled to a first sensor 306 a, a second sensor306 e, a third sensor 306 f, and a fourth sensor 306 g. In one example,the first sensor 306 a is a microphone that detects a high frequencysound from the device 304, the second sensor 306 e is a camera thatdetects the device 304, and the fourth sensor 306 e is a Bluetooth linkthat the device 304 is coupled to. In various examples, there is one ormore passengers in the vehicle 302, while in other examples, the one ormore passengers have exited the vehicle 302.

At step 208, at the destination drop-off location, a prevention routineis implemented. The prevention routine is designed to prevent passengersfrom leaving their mobile devices in the vehicle. In some examples, apre-drop-off audio message is played reminding passengers to make surethey have all their belongings. In some examples, a pre-drop-off visualmessage is displayed on screens in the vehicle reminding passengers tomake sure they have all their belongings. In some examples, a message isdisplayed on a passenger's phone reminding them to take theirbelongings. In some examples, an audio message is played from thepassenger's phone reminding them to take their belongings. In oneexample, the message includes a reminder for the passenger to check fortheir phone. In some examples, a passenger is asked to swipe theirdevice past a sensor upon exiting the vehicle. In other examples, anotification is sent to the passenger's device, asking the passenger toconfirm that drop-off location, or otherwise engaging the passenger withtheir device.

When the vehicle reaches the drop-off location, the connection cancontinue to be maintained for a selected period of time after thepassenger exits the vehicle. For example, a rideshare application on thedevice may cause the device to attempt to continue the connection forten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds, or a minute. In thismanner, if the device is still in the vehicle after the passenger exits,the connection will remain strong, indicating the device remains in thevehicle. However, if the device exits the vehicle with the passenger, asthe distance between the device and the vehicle increases, theconnection will be broken, despite the continued attempt to continue it.

At step 210, it is determined whether a mobile device was left in thevehicle after a passenger exited the vehicle. If no mobile device isdetected as having been left in the vehicle, the method 200 ends. Insome examples, at step 210, a push-notification is sent to thepassenger's mobile device notifying the passenger that the device wasleft in the vehicle. The notification allows the passenger to verifythat the passenger has their mobile device, such that if the mobiledevice is incorrectly detected as being left in the vehicle, thepassenger can indicate they have possession of the device, and themethod 200 ends.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show examples 400, 420 of a device notification,according to some embodiments of the disclosure. In particular, FIG. 4Ashows an example 400 of a device 402 showing a push notification 406.The push notification 406 can be displayed on a lock screen, a homescreen, or in a rideshare application. If the user has their device, thepush notification 406 alerts the user that the rideshare application hasdetermined the device may have been left in the vehicle. FIG. 4B showsan example 420 of the device 402, in which a button 422 is displayed forthe user to dismiss the lost device notification. The button 422 allowsthe user to dismiss the lost phone notification. In variousimplementations, a code or password is entered to dismiss thenotification. For example, a phone lock code or rideshare applicationpassword may be entered. In this manner, if the device is found orpicked up by a different passenger, the different passenger cannotdismiss the notification or end the lost phone protocol.

If, at step 210, it is determined that the device was left in thevehicle, at step 212, a passenger notification protocol is initiated.The passenger can be notified of the found device in several differentways. In some examples, the passenger rideshare account includes anemail address, and a notice is sent to the email address. In someexamples, the passenger rideshare account includes one or moredesignated recovery contacts and an email and/or text message is sent tothe one or more designated recovery contacts. In some examples, an audiomessage is sent to the one or more designated recovery contacts. In someexamples, the user's rideshare account can be accessed via a webbrowser, and a notification is sent to the user's rideshare account. Insome examples, the vehicle coupled with devices of one or more fellowpassengers traveling with the passenger whose device was left in thevehicle, and the one or more fellow passengers are notified.

Example Method for Mobile Device Recovery

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a method 500 for mobile devicerecovery, according to various embodiments of the disclosure. At step502, if a mobile device is detected as having been left in the vehicle,at step 504 it is determined if the passenger is nearby—close to thevehicle. In some examples, this is based on the amount of time since thepassenger exited the vehicle (where a very short amount of timeindicates the passenger is still close). In some examples, it is basedon sensor suite data, such as camera or video images, indicating thepassenger is close. In some examples, it is based on the connection withthe device. In some examples, it is based on GPS data. If the passengeris still close to the vehicle at step 504, then, at step 506 thepassenger is alerted. Alerting the passenger can include emitting a loudsound such as a honk or an audio announcement to the surrounding areaand displaying a “lost phone” message on one or more exterior(outward-facing) displays.

FIG. 6 is a diagram 600 showing an autonomous vehicle 110 and apassenger 620, according to various embodiments of the disclosure. Thepassenger 620 is a distance 622 from the autonomous vehicle 110 sensorsuite 102. In various examples, at a given distance 622, the sensorsuite 102 can detect the passenger 620, and an announcement or othersound emitted from the vehicle is audible to the passenger 620, but thepassenger is far enough from the vehicle that the device should bedisconnected from established connections. If the device is stillcoupled, it can be determined that the device is likely still in thevehicle 110.

At step 508, it is determined whether the passenger returned to thevehicle to retrieve the mobile device. If the passenger returned to thevehicle, the method 500 returns to step 502, where it can confirm thereis no device remaining in the vehicle, or, if there is, proceed to step504.

If, at step 504, the passenger is no longer nearby when the forgottenmobile device is detected, the method proceeds to step 510. Similarly,if at step 508, the passenger does not return to the vehicle, the methodproceeds to step 510. In some examples, step 512 occurs at the same timeas step 510. At step 510, the mobile device is moved to a safe location.

There are several options for moving the mobile device to a safelocation. In some implementations, an app or in-car message can requestthe next passenger to place the forgotten device into a secure box. Thepassenger can be offered an incentive to cooperate in securing theforgotten device, such as ride credits. In some examples, the vehiclereturns to the closest garage or depot where a service person canmanually remove the device for safe-keeping. In some implementations, arobotic device within the vehicle retrieves the forgotten device. Forexample, a simple robotic device can automatically push any items on thevehicle's seats into a retractable tray on the floor of the car. Theretractable tray extends out from under the seats to catch any itemspushed on the seats, and then retracts back underneath the vehicleseats. In other examples, a robotic arm within the vehicle picks up thedevice and places it in a safe box for storage.

In addition to keeping the mobile device safe at step 510, at step 512,the method 500 includes notifying the passenger of the found device andinitiating a recovery process. The passenger can be notified of thefound device in several different ways. In some examples, the passengerrideshare account includes an email address, and a notice is sent to theemail address. In some examples, the passenger rideshare accountincludes one or more designated recovery contacts and an email and/ortext message is sent to the one or more designated recovery contacts. Insome examples, an audio message is sent to the one or more designatedrecovery contacts. In some examples, the user's rideshare account can beaccessed via a web browser, and a notification is sent to the user'srideshare account.

At step 514, a device recovery process is initiated. The device recoveryprocess is the process of returning the device to the owner. In someexamples, a user can set up device return details through an onlineportal. For example, the user can designate where the device is to bereturned to, and within what timeframe the device is to be returned. Invarious examples, the user can be charged a fee for device return, withthe fee depending on the level of service provided. For example, a usercan elect to pay a rush fee and to have the device returned immediately,and the vehicle can deliver the device directly to the user. In someexamples, a user may choose to pay a lesser amount to have the devicereturned within a longer timeframe. In some examples, for long distancetrips, i.e. trips that are longer than a selected distance, a dispatchalgorithm can match the vehicle with ride requests that bring thevehicle nearer to the return address. This allows the rideshare serviceto continue to operate without reducing vehicle utilization, and canreduce a return fee charged to the user. In some examples, for shortdistance trips (e.g., less than about five minutes or less than about 2miles), the vehicle can be dispatched directly to the return address tomaximize the probability of safe return and enhance user experience.

In various examples, when the vehicle with the forgotten mobile devicearrives at the return address, the user can input a recovery code toverify user identity and retrieve the device. The recovery code can besent to the user via the user rideshare account, via the user's emailaddress, and/or to via designated user recovery contacts. In someexamples, the recovery code allows the user to open the vehicle door. Inother examples, the recovery code allows the user to access a lock boxcontaining the device. In some implementations, instead of a recoverycode, facial recognition and/or voice recognition is used to verify theidentity of the user.

In some implementations, the device is stored at a lost-and-foundlocation, and the user can elect to travel to the lost-and-foundlocation and retrieve the device. In other examples, a device stored ata lost-and-found location can be placed in a vehicle for delivery to aspecified address.

In some scenarios, the passenger who loses a mobile device is a guest ofthe passenger who ordered the ride. Thus, the missing mobile device maynot have an associated rideshare account. Without a rideshare account,the device may not be coupled directly to the vehicle using many of theexamples listed with respect to FIG. 2. In some examples, anon-rideshare account user may still connect to WiFi or Bluetooth.However, in some examples, when the device belongs to a guest of thepassenger and/or rideshare account user, there are fewer methods fordetecting the device and for determining the device owner. In someexamples, it is determined which passenger/rideshare account user theguest entered the vehicle with, and that passenger is alerted regardingthe forgotten device.

In some examples, in a rideshare use case, a first passenger shares thevehicle with other passengers whom the first passenger does not know. Ifthe first passenger leaves a device in the vehicle, it is possible thatone of the other passengers can retrieve the device. Systems can be usedto track which other device the lost device leaves the vehicle with todetermine who retrieved it. In some examples, cameras in the vehicle canbe used to identify the person who retrieved the lost device. In someexamples, other passengers can be alerted that the vehicle has detecteda lost device and is tracking the lost device. The other passengers canbe asked to place the lost device in a specific location.

Additionally, in a shared ride, the vehicle tracks devices of eachrespective rideshare application user in the vehicle. In particular, thevehicle tracks which device belongs with which passenger. In someexamples, facial recognition can be used to identify passengers as theyenter the vehicle. Additionally, a specific high frequency sound can beplayed from each passenger's device, where each passenger's device playsa different high frequency sound. The selected frequency that enterswith a specific passenger can be used to associate the specificpassenger with the selected frequency. Similarly, in a data connection,the IP address of the device that connects when a passenger enters thevehicle can be used to associate the specific passenger with the IPaddress of the device.

Example of Autonomous Vehicle Fleet

FIG. 7 is a diagram 700 illustrating a fleet of autonomous vehicles 710a, 710 b, 710 c in communication with a central computer 702, accordingto some embodiments of the disclosure. As shown in FIG. 7, the vehicles710 a-710 c communicate wirelessly with a cloud 704 and a centralcomputer 702. The central computer 702 includes a routing coordinatorand a database of information from the vehicles 710 a-710 c in thefleet. Autonomous vehicle fleet routing refers to the routing ofmultiple vehicles in a fleet. The central computer also acts as acentralized ride management system and communicates with rideshare usersvia a rideshare service 706. The vehicles 710 a-710 c can each be usedto implement the device detection and recovery methods of FIGS. 2 and 5.In some implementations, the autonomous vehicles 710 a-710 c communicatedirectly with each other.

When a passenger requests a ride through a rideshare service 706, therideshare service 706 sends the request to central computer 702. Thecentral computer 702 selects a vehicle 710 a-710 c based on the request.When the vehicle 710 a-701 c picks up the passenger, the passengerdevice is detected and a connection is established with the passengerdevice, as described above with respect to the methods of FIGS. 2 and 5.The vehicle 710 a-710 c continues to monitor the device. However, if thedevice is left in the vehicle 710 a-710 c after the passenger exits thevehicle 710 a-710 c, the vehicle 710 a-710 c contacts the centralcomputer 702 to begin the device recovery protocol. The vehicles 710 a,710 b, 710 c communicate with a central computer 702 via a cloud 704.

Once a destination is selected and the user has ordered a vehicle, therouting coordinator can optimize the routes to avoid traffic as well asvehicle occupancy. In some examples, an additional passenger can bepicked up en route to the destination, and the additional passenger canhave a different destination. In various implementations, since therouting coordinator has information on the routes for all the vehiclesin the fleet, the routing coordinator can adjust vehicle routes toreduce congestion and increase vehicle occupancy.

As described above, each vehicle 710 a-710 c in the fleet of vehiclescommunicates with a routing coordinator. Thus, information gathered byvarious autonomous vehicles 710 a-710 c in the fleet can be saved andused to generate information for future routing determinations. Forexample, sensor data can be used to generate route determinationparameters. In general, the information collected from the vehicles inthe fleet can be used for route generation or to modify existing routes.In some examples, the routing coordinator collects and processesposition data from multiple autonomous vehicles in real-time to avoidtraffic and generate a fastest-time route for each autonomous vehicle.In some implementations, the routing coordinator uses collected positiondata to generate a best route for an autonomous vehicle in view of oneor more travelling preferences and/or routing goals. In some examples,the routing coordinator uses collected position data corresponding toemergency events to generate a best route for an autonomous vehicle toavoid a potential emergency situation.

According to various implementations, a set of parameters can beestablished that determine which metrics are considered (and to whatextent) in determining routes or route modifications. For example,expected congestion or traffic based on a known event can be considered.Generally, a routing goal refers to, but is not limited to, one or moredesired attributes of a routing plan indicated by at least one of anadministrator of a routing server and a user of the autonomous vehicle.The desired attributes may relate to a desired duration of a route plan,a comfort level of the route plan, a vehicle type for a route plan,safety of the route plan, and the like. For example, a routing goal mayinclude time of an individual trip for an individual autonomous vehicleto be minimized, subject to other constraints. As another example, arouting goal may be that comfort of an individual trip for an autonomousvehicle be enhanced or maximized, subject to other constraints.

Routing goals may be specific or general in terms of both the vehiclesthey are applied to and over what timeframe they are applied. As anexample of routing goal specificity in vehicles, a routing goal mayapply only to a specific vehicle, or to all vehicles in a specificregion, or to all vehicles of a specific type, etc. Routing goaltimeframe may affect both when the goal is applied (e.g., some goals maybe ‘active’ only during set times) and how the goal is evaluated (e.g.,for a longer-term goal, it may be acceptable to make some decisions thatdo not optimize for the goal in the short term, but may aid the goal inthe long term). Likewise, routing vehicle specificity may also affecthow the goal is evaluated; e.g., decisions not optimizing for a goal maybe acceptable for some vehicles if the decisions aid optimization of thegoal across an entire fleet of vehicles.

Some examples of routing goals include goals involving trip duration(either per trip, or average trip duration across some set of vehiclesand/or times), physics, laws, and/or company policies (e.g., adjustingroutes chosen by users that end in lakes or the middle of intersections,refusing to take routes on highways, etc.), distance, velocity (e.g.,max., min., average), source/destination (e.g., it may be optimal forvehicles to start/end up in a certain place such as in a pre-approvedparking space or charging station), intended arrival time (e.g., when auser wants to arrive at a destination), duty cycle (e.g., how often acar is on an active trip vs. idle), energy consumption (e.g., gasolineor electrical energy), maintenance cost (e.g., estimated wear and tear),money earned (e.g., for vehicles used for ridesharing), person-distance(e.g., the number of people moved multiplied by the distance moved),occupancy percentage, higher confidence of arrival time, user-definedroutes or waypoints, fuel status (e.g., how charged a battery is, howmuch gas is in the tank), passenger satisfaction (e.g., meeting goalsset by or set for a passenger) or comfort goals, environmental impact,passenger safety, pedestrian safety, toll cost, etc. In examples wherevehicle demand is important, routing goals may include attempting toaddress or meet vehicle demand.

Routing goals may be combined in any manner to form composite routinggoals; for example, a composite routing goal may attempt to optimize aperformance metric that takes as input trip duration, rideshare revenue,and energy usage and also, optimize a comfort metric. The components orinputs of a composite routing goal may be weighted differently and basedon one or more routing coordinator directives and/or passengerpreferences.

Likewise, routing goals may be prioritized or weighted in any manner.For example, a set of routing goals may be prioritized in oneenvironment, while another set may be prioritized in a secondenvironment. As a second example, a set of routing goals may beprioritized until the set reaches threshold values, after which point asecond set of routing goals take priority. Routing goals and routinggoal priorities may be set by any suitable source (e.g., an autonomousvehicle routing platform, an autonomous vehicle passenger).

The routing coordinator uses maps to select an autonomous vehicle fromthe fleet to fulfill a ride request. In some implementations, therouting coordinator sends the selected autonomous vehicle the riderequest details, including pick-up location and destination location,and an onboard computer on the selected autonomous vehicle generates aroute and navigates to the destination. In some implementations, therouting coordinator in the central computing system 702 generates aroute for each selected autonomous vehicle 710 a-710 c, and the routingcoordinator determines a route for the autonomous vehicle 710 a-710 c totravel from the autonomous vehicle's current location to a destination.

Example of a Computing System for Ride Requests

FIG. 8 shows an example embodiment of a computing system 800 forimplementing certain aspects of the present technology. In variousexamples, the computing system 800 can be any computing device making upthe onboard computer 104, the central computing system 702, or any othercomputing system described herein. The computing system 800 can includeany component of a computing system described herein which thecomponents of the system are in communication with each other usingconnection 805. The connection 805 can be a physical connection via abus, or a direct connection into processor 810, such as in a chipsetarchitecture. The connection 805 can also be a virtual connection,networked connection, or logical connection.

In some implementations, the computing system 800 is a distributedsystem in which the functions described in this disclosure can bedistributed within a datacenter, multiple data centers, a peer network,etc. In some embodiments, one or more of the described system componentsrepresents many such components each performing some or all of thefunctions for which the component is described. In some embodiments, thecomponents can be physical or virtual devices.

The example system 800 includes at least one processing unit (CPU orprocessor) 810 and a connection 805 that couples various systemcomponents including system memory 815, such as read-only memory (ROM)820 and random access memory (RAM) 825 to processor 810. The computingsystem 800 can include a cache of high-speed memory 812 connecteddirectly with, in close proximity to, or integrated as part of theprocessor 810.

The processor 810 can include any general-purpose processor and ahardware service or software service, such as services 832, 834, and 836stored in storage device 830, configured to control the processor 810 aswell as a special-purpose processor where software instructions areincorporated into the actual processor design. The processor 810 mayessentially be a completely self-contained computing system, containingmultiple cores or processors, a bus, memory controller, cache, etc. Amulti-core processor may be symmetric or asymmetric.

To enable user interaction, the computing system 800 includes an inputdevice 845, which can represent any number of input mechanisms, such asa microphone for speech, a touch-sensitive screen for gesture orgraphical input, keyboard, mouse, motion input, speech, etc. Thecomputing system 800 can also include an output device 835, which can beone or more of a number of output mechanisms known to those of skill inthe art. In some instances, multimodal systems can enable a user toprovide multiple types of input/output to communicate with the computingsystem 800. The computing system 800 can include a communicationsinterface 840, which can generally govern and manage the user input andsystem output. There is no restriction on operating on any particularhardware arrangement, and therefore the basic features here may easilybe substituted for improved hardware or firmware arrangements as theyare developed.

A storage device 830 can be a non-volatile memory device and can be ahard disk or other types of computer readable media which can store datathat are accessible by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes, flashmemory cards, solid state memory devices, digital versatile disks,cartridges, random access memories (RAMs), read-only memory (ROM),and/or some combination of these devices.

The storage device 830 can include software services, servers, services,etc., that when the code that defines such software is executed by theprocessor 810, it causes the system to perform a function. In someembodiments, a hardware service that performs a particular function caninclude the software component stored in a computer-readable medium inconnection with the necessary hardware components, such as a processor810, a connection 805, an output device 835, etc., to carry out thefunction.

As discussed above, each vehicle in a fleet of vehicles communicateswith a routing coordinator. When a vehicle is flagged for service, therouting coordinator schedules the vehicle for service and routes thevehicle to the service center. When the vehicle is flagged formaintenance, a level of importance or immediacy of the service can beincluded. As such, service with a low level of immediacy will bescheduled at a convenient time for the vehicle and for the fleet ofvehicles to minimize vehicle downtime and to minimize the number ofvehicles removed from service at any given time. In some examples, theservice is performed as part of a regularly-scheduled service. Servicewith a high level of immediacy may require removing vehicles fromservice despite an active need for the vehicles.

Routing goals may be specific or general in terms of both the vehiclesthey are applied to and over what timeframe they are applied. As anexample of routing goal specificity in vehicles, a routing goal mayapply only to a specific vehicle, or to all vehicles of a specific type,etc. Routing goal timeframe may affect both when the goal is applied(e.g., urgency of the goal, or, some goals may be ‘active’ only duringset times) and how the goal is evaluated (e.g., for a longer-term goal,it may be acceptable to make some decisions that do not optimize for thegoal in the short term, but may aid the goal in the long term).Likewise, routing vehicle specificity may also affect how the goal isevaluated; e.g., decisions not optimizing for a goal may be acceptablefor some vehicles if the decisions aid optimization of the goal acrossan entire fleet of vehicles.

In various implementations, the routing coordinator is a remote serveror a distributed computing system connected to the autonomous vehiclesvia an internet connection. In some implementations, the routingcoordinator is any suitable computing system. In some examples, therouting coordinator is a collection of autonomous vehicle computersworking as a distributed system.

As described herein, one aspect of the present technology is thegathering and use of data available from various sources to improvequality and experience. The present disclosure contemplates that in someinstances, this gathered data may include personal information. Thepresent disclosure contemplates that the entities involved with suchpersonal information respect and value privacy policies and practices.

Select Examples

Example 1 provides a method for detecting a device left in a vehicle,comprising establishing a connection with the device in the vehicle, ata passenger drop-off location, performing a prevention routine, afterpassenger drop-off, determining whether the connection with the deviceis maintained, and based on the determination, initiating a passengernotification protocol.

Example 2 provides a method according to one or more of the precedingand/or following examples, further comprising emitting a selected highfrequency sound from the device via a device rideshare application, andwherein establishing a connection with the device comprises detectingthe selected high frequency.

Example 3 provides a method according to one or more of the precedingand/or following examples, wherein determining whether the connectionwith the device is maintained further comprises determining whether theselected high frequency is detectable.

Example 4 provides a method according to one or more of the precedingand/or following examples, wherein establishing the connection comprisesestablishing a wireless data connection between the device and thevehicle.

Example 5 provides a method according to one or more of the precedingand/or following examples, wherein establishing a connection includesdetecting the device via at least one imaging device and furthercomprising tracking the device location via the at least one imagingdevice.

Example 6 provides a method according to one or more of the precedingand/or following examples, further comprising tracking a device locationvia a device rideshare application and, after passenger drop-off,determining whether the device location diverges from a vehiclelocation.

Example 7 provides a method according to one or more of the precedingand/or following examples, further comprising, after passenger drop-off,determining that the device is in the vehicle, and storing the device ina storage compartment in the vehicle.

Example 8 provides a method according to one or more of the precedingand/or following examples, further comprising allowing access to thestorage compartment based on at least one of entry of a recovery code,facial recognition, and voice recognition.

Example 9 provides a system for detecting a device in a vehicle,comprising a sensor suite on the vehicle configured to determine when apassenger enters and exits the vehicle, a plurality of sensors insidethe vehicle, wherein at least one of the sensors is configured to detectthe device and establish a connection with the device; and an onboardcomputer configured to determine whether the connection with the deviceis maintained after the passenger exits the vehicle, and, based on thedetermination, configured to initiate a passenger notification protocol.

Example 10 provides a system according to one or more of the precedingand/or following examples, wherein the at least one of the sensors isconfigured to detect a selected high frequency sound emitted from thedevice.

Example 11 provides a system according to one or more of the precedingand/or following examples, wherein the onboard computer is furtherconfigured to determine whether the selected high frequency isdetectable in the vehicle after the passenger exits the vehicle.

Example 12 provides a system according to one or more of the precedingand/or following examples, wherein the at least one of the sensors isconfigured to establish a wireless data connection with the device.

Example 13 provides a system according to one or more of the precedingand/or following examples, wherein the at least one of the sensors is animage sensor and wherein the onboard computer is further configured totrack the device via the image sensor.

Example 14 provides a system according to one or more of the precedingand/or following examples, further comprising a central computerconfigured to receive device location data via a rideshare application,wherein, after passenger drop-off, the central computer is configured todetermine whether a device location diverges from a vehicle location.

Example 15 provides a system according to one or more of the precedingand/or following examples, further comprising a storage compartmentconfigured to store the device.

Example 16 provides a system according to one or more of the precedingand/or following examples, further comprising a robotic mechanismconfigured to deposit the device in the storage compartment.

Example 17 provides a system for detecting a device in a vehicle,comprising a plurality of sensors inside the vehicle, wherein at leastone of the plurality of sensors is configured to detect the device andestablish a connection with the device; an onboard computer in thevehicle configured to determine whether the connection with the deviceis maintained after passenger drop-off; and a central computing systemconfigured to communicate with the device via a rideshare applicationand with the onboard computer, wherein the central computing system isconfigured to transmit data to the device and receive device locationdata.

Example 18 provides a system according to one or more of the precedingand/or following examples, wherein the data transmitted to the devicevia the rideshare application includes a selected high frequency andinstructions for the rideshare application to emit the selected highfrequency sound from the device.

Example 19 provides a system according to one or more of the precedingand/or following examples, wherein the at least one of the plurality ofsensors is configured to detect the selected high frequency soundemitted from the device, and wherein the onboard computer is furtherconfigured to determine whether the selected high frequency isdetectable in the vehicle after passenger drop-off.

Example 20 provides a system according to one or more of the precedingand/or following examples, wherein the central computing system isfurther configured to determine whether a device location diverges froma vehicle location after passenger drop-off.

Example 21 provides a system according to one or more of the precedingand/or following examples, wherein the onboard computer is furtherconfigured to initiate a passenger notification protocol when the deviceconnection is maintained after passenger drop-off, wherein the onboardcomputer notifies the central computing system of the passengernotification protocol, and wherein the central computing systemtransmits a first notification to the rideshare application.

Variations and Implementations

According to various examples, driving behavior includes any informationrelating to how an autonomous vehicle drives. For example, drivingbehavior includes how and when the autonomous vehicle actuates itsbrakes and its accelerator, and how it steers. In particular, theautonomous vehicle is given a set of instructions (e.g., a route orplan), and the driving behavior determines how the set of instructionsis implemented to drive the car to and from various destinations, and,potentially, to stop for passengers or items. Driving behavior mayinclude a description of a controlled operation and movement of anautonomous vehicle and the manner in which the autonomous vehicleapplies traffic rules during one or more driving sessions. Drivingbehavior may additionally or alternatively include any information abouthow an autonomous vehicle calculates routes (e.g., prioritizing fastesttime vs. shortest distance), other autonomous vehicle actuation behavior(e.g., actuation of lights, windshield wipers, traction controlsettings, etc.) and/or how an autonomous vehicle responds toenvironmental stimulus (e.g., how an autonomous vehicle behaves if it israining, or if an animal jumps in front of the vehicle). Some examplesof elements that may contribute to driving behavior include accelerationconstraints, deceleration constraints, speed constraints, steeringconstraints, suspension settings, routing preferences (e.g., scenicroutes, faster routes, no highways), lighting preferences, “legalambiguity” conduct (e.g., in a solid-green left turn situation, whethera vehicle pulls out into the intersection or waits at the intersectionline), action profiles (e.g., how a vehicle turns, changes lanes, orperforms a driving maneuver), and action frequency constraints (e.g.,how often a vehicle changes lanes). Additionally, driving behaviorincludes information relating to whether the autonomous vehicle drivesand/or parks.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentdisclosure, in particular aspects of a perception system for anautonomous vehicle, described herein, may be embodied in various manners(e.g., as a method, a system, a computer program product, or acomputer-readable storage medium). Accordingly, aspects of the presentdisclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, anentirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software,micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardwareaspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,”“module” or “system.” Functions described in this disclosure may beimplemented as an algorithm executed by one or more hardware processingunits, e.g. one or more microprocessors, of one or more computers. Invarious embodiments, different steps and portions of the steps of eachof the methods described herein may be performed by different processingunits. Furthermore, aspects of the present disclosure may take the formof a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readablemedium(s), preferably non-transitory, having computer readable programcode embodied, e.g., stored, thereon. In various embodiments, such acomputer program may, for example, be downloaded (updated) to theexisting devices and systems (e.g. to the existing perception systemdevices and/or their controllers, etc.) or be stored upon manufacturingof these devices and systems.

The following detailed description presents various descriptions ofspecific certain embodiments. However, the innovations described hereincan be embodied in a multitude of different ways, for example, asdefined and covered by the claims and/or select examples. In thefollowing description, reference is made to the drawings where likereference numerals can indicate identical or functionally similarelements. It will be understood that elements illustrated in thedrawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Moreover, it will beunderstood that certain embodiments can include more elements thanillustrated in a drawing and/or a subset of the elements illustrated ina drawing. Further, some embodiments can incorporate any suitablecombination of features from two or more drawings.

The preceding disclosure describes various illustrative embodiments andexamples for implementing the features and functionality of the presentdisclosure. While particular components, arrangements, and/or featuresare described below in connection with various example embodiments,these are merely examples used to simplify the present disclosure andare not intended to be limiting. It will of course be appreciated thatin the development of any actual embodiment, numerousimplementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve thedeveloper's specific goals, including compliance with system, business,and/or legal constraints, which may vary from one implementation toanother. Moreover, it will be appreciated that, while such a developmenteffort might be complex and time-consuming; it would nevertheless be aroutine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having thebenefit of this disclosure.

In the Specification, reference may be made to the spatial relationshipsbetween various components and to the spatial orientation of variousaspects of components as depicted in the attached drawings. However, aswill be recognized by those skilled in the art after a complete readingof the present disclosure, the devices, components, members,apparatuses, etc. described herein may be positioned in any desiredorientation. Thus, the use of terms such as “above”, “below”, “upper”,“lower”, “top”, “bottom”, or other similar terms to describe a spatialrelationship between various components or to describe the spatialorientation of aspects of such components, should be understood todescribe a relative relationship between the components or a spatialorientation of aspects of such components, respectively, as thecomponents described herein may be oriented in any desired direction.When used to describe a range of dimensions or other characteristics(e.g., time, pressure, temperature, length, width, etc.) of an element,operations, and/or conditions, the phrase “between X and Y” represents arange that includes X and Y.

Other features and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent fromthe description and the claims. Note that all optional features of theapparatus described above may also be implemented with respect to themethod or process described herein and specifics in the examples may beused anywhere in one or more embodiments.

The ‘means for’ in these instances (above) can include (but is notlimited to) using any suitable component discussed herein, along withany suitable software, circuitry, hub, computer code, logic, algorithms,hardware, controller, interface, link, bus, communication pathway, etc.In a second example, the system includes memory that further comprisesmachine-readable instructions that when executed cause the system toperform any of the activities discussed above.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for detecting a device in a vehicle,comprising: detecting a selected high frequency emitted from the devicevia a device rideshare application; establishing a connection with thedevice in the vehicle, including continually detecting the selected highfrequency; at a passenger drop-off location, performing a preventionroutine; after passenger drop-off, determining whether the connectionwith the device is maintained; and based on the determination,initiating a passenger notification protocol.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein determining whether the connection with the device is maintainedfurther comprises, after passenger drop off, determining whether theselected high frequency is detectable.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereinestablishing the connection comprises establishing a wireless dataconnection between the device and the vehicle.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein establishing a connection includes detecting the device via atleast one imaging sensor and further comprising tracking the devicelocation via the at least one imaging sensor.
 5. The method of claim 1,further comprising tracking a device location via a device rideshareapplication and, after passenger drop-off, determining whether thedevice location diverges from a vehicle location.
 6. The method of claim1, further comprising, after passenger drop-off, determining that thedevice is in the vehicle, and storing the device in a storagecompartment in the vehicle.
 7. The method of claim 6, furthercomprising, allowing access to the storage compartment based on at leastone of entry of a recovery code, facial recognition, and voicerecognition.
 8. A system for detecting a device in a vehicle,comprising: a sensor suite on the vehicle configured to detect passengerpick-up in the vehicle and passenger drop-off from the vehicle; aplurality of sensors inside the vehicle, wherein at least one of thesensors is configured to detect a selected high frequency emitted fromthe device and establish a connection with the device; and an onboardcomputer configured to determine whether the connection with the deviceis maintained after passenger drop-off, and, based on the determination,configured to initiate a passenger notification protocol.
 9. The systemof claim 8, wherein the onboard computer is further configured todetermine whether the selected high frequency is detectable in thevehicle after passenger drop-off.
 10. The system of claim 8, wherein theat least one of the sensors is configured to establish a wireless dataconnection with the device.
 11. The system of claim 8, wherein the atleast one of the sensors is an image sensor and wherein the onboardcomputer is further configured to track the device via the image sensor.12. The system of claim 8, further comprising a central computerconfigured to receive device location data via a rideshare application,wherein, after passenger drop-off, the central computer is configured todetermine whether a device location diverges from a vehicle location.13. The system of claim 8, further comprising a storage compartmentconfigured to store the device.
 14. The system of claim 13, furthercomprising a robotic mechanism configured to deposit the device in thestorage compartment.
 15. A system for detecting a device in a vehicle,comprising: a plurality of sensors inside the vehicle, wherein at leastone of the plurality of sensors is configured to detect the device andestablish a connection with the device; an onboard computer in thevehicle configured to determine whether the connection with the deviceis maintained after passenger drop-off; and a central computing systemconfigured to communicate with the device via a rideshare applicationand with the onboard computer, wherein the central computing system isconfigured to transmit data to the device and receive device locationdata, wherein the data transmitted to the device includes a selectedhigh frequency and instructions for the rideshare application to emitthe selected high frequency from the device.
 16. The system of claim 15,wherein the at least one of the plurality of sensors is configured todetect the selected high frequency emitted from the device, and whereinthe onboard computer is further configured to determine whether theselected high frequency is detectable in the vehicle after passengerdrop-off.
 17. The system of claim 15, wherein the central computingsystem is further configured to determine whether a device locationdiverges from a vehicle location after passenger drop-off.
 18. Thesystem of claim 17, wherein the onboard computer is further to initiatea passenger notification protocol when the device connection ismaintained after passenger drop-off.
 19. The system of claim 18, whereinthe onboard computer is to notify the central computing system of thepassenger notification protocol, and wherein the central computingsystem is to transmit a first notification to the rideshare application.20. The system of claim 18, further comprising a speaker on the vehicle,wherein, when the onboard computer initiates the passenger notificationprotocol, the speaker is to emit an audio alert.